Skip to main content

tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  August 24, 2013 2:00pm-3:01pm PDT

2:00 pm
cdc.gov/vaccines. that will wrap things up for "sg md," but stay connected with me at cnn.com/sanjay. let's keep it going on twitter. it's been a good conversation there lately. time now to get you back into the "cnn newsroom" with don lemon. hello, everyone, don lemon here, it's the top of the hour, you're in the "cnn newsroom," thanks for joining us. we'll begin with this in california, where a monster wildfire is creeping further into the iconic yosemite national park, the rim fire has more than doubled in size in the last day swallowing up everything in its path. it's burned 126,000 acres and is just 5% contained. the impact of the fire is spreading far beyond the park itself. governor jerry brown has issued a state of emergency for san francisco, which is 150 miles away. but the fast-moving flames are threatening water and electrical lines that feed into the city, forcing some to be shut down.
2:01 pm
we're going to get right to cnn's nick valencia outside yosemite national park. so, nick, you just returned from a tour of the fire lines. we spoke to you very briefly just about 30 minutes ago -- just about an hour ago, i should say. what are the crews doing to slow this fire down? >> reporter: well, they're working against a lot of odds at this hour, don. and just take a look at these pictures, and it gives you a sense of what firefighters are dealing with right now at this hour. this was just shot by our cnn crew moments ago. it's that western boundary of yosemite national park which has been a big concern for fire officials. we should mention, though, that this fire is still miles away from the tourist center of yosemite valley, but still very concerning. in fact, the u.s. forest service tour guide that took us along on this tour said this fire, his words, not mine, was really cooking, and you can tell by just how black and charred the trees were when you look at those pictures. extremely difficult conditions, don, to work against at this hour right now with the sun out,
2:02 pm
extremely dry conditions. canyon winds, and also limited resources. this is the biggest fire currently burning right now in the united states, but we should mention, it's one of several fires. one of at least 50 fires burning throughout the united states. and so far, it's only 5% contained. and we're told by fire officials it's already caused $7 million worth of damage. don? >> nick valencia, appreciate your reporting. we'll talk more about the fire, the rim fire, one of the worst ever for the state of california. the fire's already damaged some lines and stations that provide power to parts of the bay area, forcing a state of emergency to be issued. san francisco gets 85% of its water from a yosemite-area reservoir. more than 2,600 firefighters are fighting the blaze. and huge dc-10 air tankers are working from above and 4,500 structures are threatened as the fire continues its march eastward and so far the fire has had no direct effect on yosemite valley, a popular spot for tourists with half views -- with views, i should say, of half
2:03 pm
dome and yosemite falls. a disturbing story to tell you about, this one coming from north florida. a law enforcement source says a man who was fired just yesterday from his longtime job opened fire today on his former boss. a former employee at the pritchard trucking in union county shot and killed the company's owner martin pritchard and another man who worked on pritchard's farm. the gunman later shot and wounded two workers at two separate office buildings owned by pritchard, he then returned to his home where he killed himself. the suspect reportedly had worked at the trucking company for close to 40 years before he was fired on friday. just days after syria's rebels accuse the government of using chemical weapons, the regime is making the same accusations, saying its soldiers were victims of the same lethal victims. cnn's frederick pleitgen spoke to troops who said they witnessed the attacks by rebels.
2:04 pm
>> reporter: the government says as its troops were pushing forward, rebels unleashed chemicals on them. this soldier who i spoke to as the battle was still raging says he was there and tells me several of his comrades couldn't breathe after the incident. "we're not feeling well" he says "eyes burning and we took a lot of people to the hospital." syrian media is showing a chemical weapons stash that the army uncovered in the same area. the soldier i talked to claimed the military has been hit with chem scals in the past and showed me gas masks he says the units have been outfitted with. jobar has been in rebel hands for more than a year with the syrian army trying to win it back. the troops showed me some of the recent battle damage. this as far as the military is going to let us go. we're actually on the front line in the district of jobar, the
2:05 pm
area around us is controlled by the opposition. the military says in recent weeks it's been making gains here, but they claim that the use of chemical weapons by the opposition has been holding them up. syria's government and the opposition have been blaming each other for allegedly using chemical agents on the battlefield. rebels holding the assad regime responsible for the deaths of more than 1,300 civilians in a massive chemical weapons attack and accusing the international community of inaction especially the u.s. >> from here, i ask and i demand that president -- the american president, mr. barack obama, as the head of the country that has the strongest presence in the international community, to be responsible at a personal level as well as a country level. >> reporter: the u.n. has sent its high representative for disarmament to damascus to persuade the government to let chemical weapons inspectors to the site of the latest alleged
2:06 pm
attack. seconds count experts stay if an investigation is to have any chance of success. fred pleitgen, cnn, damascus. >> fred, thank you very much. the anniversary of the march on washington, 50 years ago. we ask, who is the next mlk? does this generation have a voice that can inspire? and he survived world war ii only to be beaten to death in a parking lot when two teens murdered him. we're asking what drives this kind of behavior? people wait for this promotion all year long. and now there are endless ways to love it... from crispy to spicy to savory. [ man ] you cannot make a bad choice. [ male announcer ] red lobster's endless shrimp! as much as you like, any way you like! you can have your shrimp. and you can eat it, too. [ male announcer ] try our new soy wasabi grilled shrimp or classic garlic shrimp scampi. all just $15.99 for a limited time. it's gonna be a hit this year. [ male announcer ] red lobster's endless shrimp is now! we would never miss endless shrimp. [ male announcer ] but it won't last forever. so come and sea food differently. [ male announcer ] but it won't last forever.
2:07 pm
peoi go to angie's listt for all kinds of reasons. to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. she loves a lot of it's what you love about her. but your erectile dysfunction - that could be a question of blood flow. cialis tadalafil for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis.
2:08 pm
side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than 4 hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial. ♪ ♪ (vo) purina cat chow. 50 years of feeding great relationships.
2:09 pm
50 yorg dr. martin luther king jr. gave his famous i have a dream speech on the steps of the lincoln memorial, today thousands rallied in washington paying tribute to historic anniversary. today's march is not just about martin luther king jr. it's about remembering and paying tribute to an unforgettable moment in time when the civil rights movement was the national conversation. cnn's chris lawrence has extraordinary moments from today's march on washington. >> reporter: for thousands of people from all over the world each with their own story to tell and reason for coming here, it's hard to sum it all up, so here's a look at some of the sights and sounds from today's event at the national mall. >> keep dreaming of the constitutional right to vote, stop the madness in texas, keep dreaming. keep dreaming about the war in poverty. keep dreaming.
2:10 pm
to go from stop and frisk to stop and employ. stop and educate. stop and house. stop and choose schools over jails. keep dreaming. >> as we gather today, 50 years later, their march is now our march, and it must go on. and our focus has broadened to include the cause of women, of latinos, of asian-americans, of lesbians, of gays, of people with disabilities, and of countless others across this great country who still yearn for equality, opportunity, and fair treatment. >> when the leading cause of death for black men my age and younger is gun violence, we still have work to do. when we still have a justice system that treats the economically disadvantaged and minorities different than others, we still have work to do. >> i gave a little blood on that bridge in selma, alabama, for
2:11 pm
the right to vote. i am not going to stand by and let the supreme court take the right to vote away from us. you cannot stand by. you cannot sit down. you got to stand up, speak up, speak out, and get in the way. make some noise! >> the vision preached by my father half century ago was that his four little children would one day live in a nation where they would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. however, sadly, the tears of trayvon martin's mother and father remind us that far too frequently the color of one's skin remains a license to profile, to arrest, and to even
2:12 pm
murder with no regard for the content of one's character. >> we continue to march together like children, and we pray together so we don't get tired, because we know that at some point we all will be able to join with dr. king in saying free at last, free at last. thank god almighty we are all free at last. >> reporter: and, again, today's event really just kicks off a week of commemoration, culminating wednesday when president barack obama will be here on the steps of the lincoln memorial to mark the 50th anniversary of martin luther king jr.'s i have a dream speech. chris lawrence, cnn, washington. >> chris, thank you very much. dr. martin luther king jr. was a voice that inspired an entire generation and as we remember his i have a dream speech today, we look for new leaders to carry the torch. who is today's martin luther king jr.? do we need a martin luther king
2:13 pm
jr. type? can we ever soar to those heights again? do we need someone to ignite the fight for equality and the passion for fairness or is dr. king simply irreplaceable? i want to bring in someone who can help me answer this, he probably can, mark mariel, he's joining us from washington. i know the sun is setting there you are not trying to look cool. it's right in your face. >> the sun is very bright, don, yeah. >> when you look at today's leaders, sir, do you see reminders of martin luther king jr. in anyone? as i was looking at it, i was saying, is it maybe cory booker, is it someone we don't know about that we haven't really seen yet? >> dr. king is irreplaceable as a single personality. he was iconic in american history, indeed, iconic in world history. i think there that are many, many disciples if you will of dr. martin luther king, whose work, whose life, whose career, whose words, if you listen to
2:14 pm
the speeches today, so many were inspired by the words of 1963 and of dr. martin luther king, so we should look for that single personality, because martin luther king is irreplaceable. but what i do think you do have is many, many, many who dr. king has influenced, whose work has inspired, and we were here to reaffirm our commitment to that to continue and carry on the fight. >> were you -- were uf inspiyou inspired, mr. morial, by the civil rights leaders that spoke at the march on washington? i saw john lewis speaking, the reverend jesse jackson spoke as well. were you inspired by those leaders? >> john lewis particularly is always an inspiration because of his work and his life. and today because he was really there in 1963 in a big way. because he was on the front lines in votes rights, he
2:15 pm
inspired me. reverend al sharpton i think in closing sort of put it all together with this idea of a new america. you know, one of the things that we did leading up to this march is on friday we released this new 21st century public policy agenda, don, and that agenda sort of charts the course of what next, why did we march. and after this day of inspiration, this day of enthusiasm, how do we go forward. and this policy priority document called the 21st century agenda for jobs and freedom covers economics, education, criminal justice reform, protection of voting rights and democracy, and health care disparities and it's available to everyone at nul.org. >> yeah, and speaking of going forward, and you mentioned -- you mentioned reverend sharpton who spoke today. i thought, it was very interesting to me, he spoke specifically to young men. and he said, these people, rosa parks didn't do what she did for
2:16 pm
you to be a thug and for you to do all sorts of things. and he also mentioned other female, women civil rights leaders, and he says those women aren't hoss s or bitches and i think he was specifically mentioning, i would imagine, rap music and younger cultural, i guess, reference to those sorts of ideas. >> i think was referencing the idea that we've got to confront self-negativity and self-genocide. and he did it very openly. and did it in the context of today. and i think we reaffirmed that. we've got to be more vocal about violence within the community. we've got to be more vocal when it comes to i think the level of respect. but we've got to do that while at the same time affirming that public policy and the congress and our elected officials have to do more to ensure that more people are working, do more to
2:17 pm
ensure that all schools are good and all young people have an education and that college is affordable. so, i thought reverend sharpton struck a good balance. and he reflected what we talk about many times privately, the angst about the challenges in our community that we have to be more vocal and more visible and more responsive to and the broader picture of how the decisions that are made in the highest councils of politics and business in this nation really affect the way people live. >> amen. amen. thank you very much, i appreciate you coming on cnn and i'm glad the sun -- >> don, thank you. >> i hope the sun didn't affect you too much there. >> well, it's a glorious day. it was a beautiful day. we couldn't have asked for better weather. thank you, don, for everything you're doing. thanks, cnn. >> all right. we appreciate you, thank you, marc morial. coming up, i sat down with hip-hop pioneer russell simmons and talked about the challenges and the responsibilities facing african-american youth today. we agreed on some issues.
2:18 pm
we totally disagreed on others. you'll see my exclusive interview with the legendary music producer at 6:30 eastern right here on cnn. trust me, you do not want to miss that. in the meantime, hannah anderson stepped into a crowded church today to pray for her deceased mother and brother, and you'll see how 16-year-old hannah reacted to the emotional service next. sabra hummus is really delicious so you might be tempted to dip more than once. ♪ ahh...don't be afraid, flip it around, go back in. yup. oooo, this is a dilemma. oh, go ahead, we're family. ♪ oh, really? come on! you're lucky you're so cute. sabra hummus. dip life to the fullest.
2:19 pm
2:20 pm
kidnapping survivor hannah anderson prayed for her mother and brother at a public memorial
2:21 pm
service today. authorities say family friend james dimaggio tortured and kill ed christina and ethawn anderson. cnn's stephanie elam in santee, california, right now. tell us about the emotional service, stephanie. >> reporter: it was definitely emotional to watch, as everyone was gathering here, don, coming together, we saw hannah walking around the inside of the church. hugging people, as was her father. as the service got started, she sat down between her grandparents, tina's parents, and her grandmother protectively had her arm around her through most of the service. but there were some very, very moving words that came from the father, and i want you to hear those now. take a listen. >> a horrific events occur in germany or russia or africa or even in a different state, they're not entirely real to us. when they occur on our own
2:22 pm
doorstep and touch us as intimately as the horrific murders of tina and ethan, then they are indeed fairly real. we're touched by this evil and we can never bee the same again. >> and while she was smiling before the ceremony started, during the memorial at the end, you could see that she was feeling that, that hannah was feeling the weight of realizing that her mother and brother have now been gone for about three weeks and just working with that pain. i did get to sit down with her maternal grandmother and her great uncle, and they say that she really wants to be a firefighter and so now their focus is going to be on helping her realize the dreams for her life, don? >> all right, that interview at 8:00 eastern, thank you very much, for that, stephanie elam. you can get more of hannah anderson's incredible story tonight, cnn will air "kidnapped, the rescue of hannah anderson" at 8:00 p.m. on cnn. an american beaten, robbed,
2:23 pm
and left to die in a parking lot as police search for a second suspect in the killing. family and friends of this military veteran can only ask why. >> my family come to america because we want a better life. >> you want to go there? yeah? >> we are 12 people in the family. when i got to chicago, it's really hard the first day, you know, i'm totally lost. >> it's hard enough to be a teenage girl in the united states, so it's even harder to be a refugee teenage girl. >> my name blair brett schneider and i help refugee girls find their place in america. after work i was tutoring different kids. one girl was really struggling. hello, how's it going? >> good. good to see you. >> i had to do more because i'm a girl and get food for my family. do the laundry. take care of my brothers. >> we started going on field trips and talking about college
2:24 pm
and things started changing. are you excited about college? >> oh, yeah. >> one of our biggest goals was for her to graduate from high school and get on a path going to college. and she did. and i thought it was really important, i'm sure there are other girls. >> we are awesome! >> there are about 50 girls in our different programs. >> well, you are making great progress. i'm so proud of you, you know? >> our mentorship program matches refugee girls with their mentors who work with them once a week. >> you have to write an essay, right? >> yeah. i want to write about my life. >> you are walking down the street, they are just teenagers. >> i want to have my own salon. >> one day i'm hoping to become a nurse. >> i want to be a teacher. >> i want to become a doctor, a nurse. >> what i see is what all the girls can accomplish and everything that they can do that's really wild.
2:25 pm
could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. mmmhmmm...everybody knows that. well, did you know that old macdonald was a really bad speller? your word is...cow. cow. cow. c...o...w... ...e...i...e...i...o. [buzzer] dangnabbit. geico. fifteen minutes could save you...well, you know. britta olsen is my patient. i spend long hours with her checking her heart rate, administering her medication, and just making her comfortable. one night britta told me about a tradition in denmark, "when a person dies," she said, "someone must open the window so the soul can depart." i smiled and squeezed her hand.
2:26 pm
"not tonight, britta. not tonight." [ female announcer ] to nurses everywhere, thank you, from johnson & johnson. all your important legal matters in just minutes. protect your family... and launch your dreams. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side.
2:27 pm
2:28 pm
this is really a terrible story. he survived the war in the pacific, taking a bullet to the leg during the battle of okinawa, but now this world war ii veteran has become the victim of a heinous crime. delbert belton was beaten and left for dead by two teens outside a lounge in spockcan, washington, wednesday, a place he loved to go and play pool. police found him in the parking lot. he later died in the hospital. cause of death? blunt trauma to the head. friends from the pool hall held a vigil last night in his honor. still shocked by what happened. >> because that's senseless, man, beating an old man, what kind of person does that?
2:29 pm
with a -- excuse the expression, a wimp. >> yeah, there are more words for people who would do that. one juvenile has now been arrested charged with robbery and murder. a second is still on the run. police say the teens appeared to have picked belton at random. i want to bring in holy hughes, this is a disgusting crime. both suspects have been arrested and convicted in the past according to the police chief. what do you make of this? first to you, holly. >> well, don, this is just another one of those random, violent acts that we see our young people engaging in, and it reminds me you were just repo reporting on reverend al sharpton's speech and he's encouraging young people, that the thug life, it's not cool to be a gang, it's not cool to be a thug. that's not one community, it's all the youth, every community. >> thank you. >> every race, every religion. we need to tell our young people it is not cool to go out and
2:30 pm
commit these type of crimes, because these young men will now be charged as adults and they will be doing hard prison time, don -- >> right. >> -- and i don't think there's anything cool about that. >> instead of people thinking they're living some of the songs that they're hearing -- >> right. >> -- you'll be living it in jail. wendy, you know i've been talking about this in my no talking points, making the same points. who's to blame here? obviously the teens are responsible. is it the parents? schools? society? what's going on? >> you know, in the next hour, don, we are going to be talking much more in-depth about all the factors that contribute to teen violence. but i think the lack of a caring adult in the home, these guys are waiting until a judge keeps them in line, you know -- >> wait, wait, can you say that again? can you please say that again? >> a lack of a caring adult in the home particularly male, you know, i've said this over and over, that 14 million single mothers are raising one in four american children. and, you know, it's not alimony that we need, folks, it's a guy
2:31 pm
butting horns with that young buck keeping him in line. and i think that you don't want to wait until a judge parents your kids. >> thank you. very much. good points. let's switch gears a bit here and turn to the case of christopher layne, the australian exchange student who was shot in the back while jogging along a road in duncan, oklahoma, last week. three teens have been charged in his death and last night the d.a. handling the case spoke to cnn about what role race played in the killing. listen. >> i don't believe that this is a racial crime at all. i have nothing in any of my files, any of the paperwork, any of the audio recordings that we have that would suggest that christopher layne was killed either because of his race or his nationality. i tend to think that the police chief's comments that they did this out of boredom are probably accurate. with respect to the race issue, again, we don't have anything that's going to lead us to
2:32 pm
believe that this was a racially motivated crime. >> holly, do you agree with the d.a. there that this should not be prosecuted as a hate crime? >> i do agree with that, don. hate crimes, and i've head oklahoma's hate crime statute, they do have a category for national origin and ancestry and race, but what you need to determine when you charge a hate crime, what is the mind of the defendant, and there's no indication that these suspects even knew christopher layne. so, they didn't know he was australian, they didn't know where he was from. >> holly, can i jump in here, though? >> absolutely. >> can i ask you this? >> yes. >> they can see with their own eyes that eyes white. >> right. >> if you look at their social media writings, they said on social media that, and i'm paraphrasing here, that most white people are bad and there were some other indications that things that they talked about white people on their social media sites. that's not going to be -- you say taking into account their state of mind, that's not going to be taken into account?
2:33 pm
>> well, it could be taken into account, but what you need to prove to a jury, remember, just because it's not charged as a race hate crime doesn't mean they're not going to be charged with first-degree murder. they will absolutely be charged as adults with murder. when you get into the motivation, just because these young men don't like white people doesn't mean that they committed a murder because of that dislike. they may have very good legitimate reasons. maybe they have been treated terribly by white people. when you get into the mind of a defendant, when you charge a hate crime, you have to show a huge pattern, not just speech but are they part of a group. >> okay. >> do they subscribe to racist literature, all of that. >> i get you. i want to get wendy in, do you think this is another case of bad choices made by young people? do you think there was race? do you disagree with the district attorney? >> i do agree with the district attorney. i don't think there's race here. i don't know if you noticed, don, one of the shooters is white. and i want to caution all of us old folk here to be very careful about looking through a lens of
2:34 pm
an over-40 person when you are talking about teenagers. this new generation of teenagers is less concerned about race, they have enough other problems with this generation and there are cohorts within races and between races. >> and one of the suspects there is white, but the shooter is the african-american young man. accused shooter, i should say that. >> wendy, we'll see you soon. i appreciate it, wendy and holly. the battle between russell simmons and i hablg ovs been ove and my controversial advice to the black community and i invited russell simmons to the program several times and he finally said yes to my interview, our emotional conversation, next.
2:35 pm
the most free research reports, customizable charts, powerful screening tools, and guaranteed 1-second trades. and at the center of it all is a surprisingly low price -- just $7.95. in fact, fidelity gives you lower trade commissions than schwab, td ameritrade, and etrade. i'm monica santiago of fidelity investments, and low fees and commissions are another reason serious investors are choosing fidelity. now get 200 free trades when you open an account.
2:36 pm
2:37 pm
all right, so let's have the conversation that a lot of you have been waiting for. earlier this month i shared some of my thoughts on just some
2:38 pm
suggestions on how to fix some of the problems facing black youth and in the african-american community. many found my advice to be controversial. many people loved it. some people hated it. we started a conversation and that's what we wanted to do, people are still talking about it. so we accomplished our mission here we feel. but some people didn't like it so much including hip-hop mogul russell simmons who responded with an open letter and suggestion of his own. after much begging and pleading from the folks on social media, the two of us finally sat down to discuss race, music, and hip-hop's influence on the black community. here's a preview -- when you want to improve something, where's the first place you look? >> here. i look inside. and when i want to improve -- and here's what i learned, and i say this -- >> okay. >> no, no, no, this is too good. so why didn't you write a letter that said, i understand what don lemon was saying, we need to take personal responsibility. >> i should have said that first
2:39 pm
and then say -- >> and then say here are the points where i disagree with you. >> you're right. you have to say things in the way that they go in instead of bounce off. of course, personal responsibility, i wouldn't include the cultural expressions so much. here's what i learned. i'm a vegan, i meditate twice a day. i have these kind of -- but i was -- years ago i took every single drug. i learned that morning meditation is greater than late night drinking. i learned this. >> you had do this yourself. >> that's right. the only way to move people towards give them another chance, give them the education, give them another opportunity, give them things that are cleaner and more inspired, and that is every day my job. and even if a rapper comes to me and says things that you object to or we both, i don't know if we get uncomfortable, or something that you don't like, my job is to give him a little bit more clean and inspired idea. >> do you think that rap and hip-hop can be better? >> i think each individual
2:40 pm
artist has the responsibility to say what's on their hearts, and some of it is not pretty. so, i think they are reflections of our reality and in some cases sad reality. >> that's great, but do those artists understand the influence that they're having on the young people or the people who are listening to their songs? >> i think many, most artists, understand. and i don't believe that there's anything we can do to stop a poet from expressing the truth. the only thing we can do is change that truth that if it's uncomfortable to us. >> do you think just the question do you think rap and hip-hop can be better? >> absolutely. >> okay. how so? >> each individual can be better but as an overall culture, it has to express our sad reality. it's the way young people want to express themselves by bucking the system, is something that i support. and some of the things they say that may make the adults uncomfortable, in most cases, i support it. and, of course, there are lines. i'm not suggesting to you that there's no line. we hope that their expression
2:41 pm
can be one that uplifts people. but we also want them to be truthful to their art and say what's on their hearts and if what's on their hearts sometimes is difficult to digest then we have to look at it and see if there's a roadmap to fix it. >> is there a way to do it without calling someone a bitch or a whore? >> some of the lyrics are very harsh and sexist and difficult to digest. >> and ignorant. >> and ignorant. i still can't tell a poet, you know, i cannot tell a poet, those are not my lyrics or my songs, but i can't tell a poet what to say, and i will not. >> that is just a small part of it. that's my twitter address address, @donlemoncnn. let's hear it. and his is @unclerush. the rest of my conversation with russell simmons coming up at the top of the hour right here on cnn. there's a deadliest prison fire in bolivia bolivia 's hist
2:42 pm
part of the story is how it started. hi, i'm terry and i have diabetic nerve pain. it's hard to describe, because you have a numbness, but yet you have the pain like thousands of needles sticking in your foot. it was progressively getting worse, and at that point i knew i had to do something. once i started taking the lyrica the pain started subsiding. [ male announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eyesight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who have had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica.
2:43 pm
ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. ask your doctor about lyrica today. peoi go to angie's listt for all kinds of reasons. to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. find out why more than two million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust.
2:44 pm
now some headlines from around the world right now. at least 29 people have been killed in the deadliest prison pire if bolivia's history. the blaze reportedly start between a fight during two group of inmates and a gas cylinder
2:45 pm
caught on fire causing the explosion. and bolivia's president is demanding an investigation. police have found the bodies of at least five teens buried in a shallow grave near mexico city. they were among a dozen young people kidnapped from a bar three months ago from an area that has been spared from the violence in other parts of mexico. the mass grave contained 13 bodies in all. the bar's two owners and two employees have been arrested in the case. in india, police have arrested three men suspected of taking part in the gang rape of a female photographer. investigators say a group of five men allegedly raped the 23-year-old woman and beat up her male companion while they were on assignment. the violent attack shocked the people of mumbai, india's, financial center and the city considered safe. the woman is in a stable condition in a mumbai hospital. 14 people were rescued from the north sea after a helicopter
2:46 pm
crash last night off the coast of scotland. four people were killed. the twin rotor chopper was carrying 16 oil workers and its crew of two. it was en route from a drilling rig when it ditched in the water off the shetland islands. no word yet on what caused the sudden loss of power. it appears a federal lawsuit against southern cooking queen paula deen has been resolved. lawyers signed a deal to dismiss the final part of a discrimination and sexual harassment case filed by a former employee. under the agreement no money will change hands. deen said she's anxious to put this part of life behind her, but it has cost her millions, millions in lost contracts and endorsements. deen says she's confident that, quote, those who truly know how i live my life know that i believe in kindness and fairness for everyone. let's move to a story now that is trending on cnn.com, it's about a former kansas city sportswriter, he leaves behind what he calls one of the most organized good-byes in recorded
2:47 pm
history. martin manley penned a 40-page website to be published the day he died. it was his 60th birthday. twice married, manley claims he wasn't lonely and didn't want to die, but he had left his most productive years behind. on the website, he apologizes to his friends, family and the police who were going to find him. he also said he was, quote, thrilled to death to leave behind a digital legacy for himself. manley prepaid for a five-year web hosting plan, but yahoo! took it down after learning of his suicide. to read excerpts from the website go to cnn.com. what if you could use a body part for i.d.? it sounds like science fiction, but it's already here, that's next. my mother made the best toffee in the world. it's delicious. so now we've turned her toffee into a business. my goal was to take an idea
2:48 pm
and make it happen. i'm janet long and i formed my toffee company through legalzoom. i never really thought i would make money doing what i love. [ robert ] we created legalzoom to help people start their business and launch their dreams. go to legalzoom.com today and make your business dream a reality. at legalzoom.com we put the law on your side. and make your business dream a reality. exciting and would always come max and pto my rescue. bookstore but as time passed, i started to notice max just wasn't himself. and i knew he'd feel better if he lost a little weight. so i switched to purina cat chow healthy weight formula. i just fed the recommended amount... and they both loved the taste. after a few months max's "special powers" returned... and i got my hero back. purina cat chow healthy weight.
2:49 pm
2:50 pm
2:51 pm
for some young people, college is a new world that can really open their eyes and for some schools, young people are required to open their eyes just to get in the door. >> reporter: welcome to the college orientation of the future. first, get your i.d. card. then get your eyeballs scan. >> look into this mirror. >> reporter: entering buildings using your eyes. sound like science fiction? >> welcome back to the gap. >> reporter: buy wroe metric security, it is a growing trend. iris scan sing catching on at colleges and even some elementary schools. because month two eyes are alike. >> our scanning has a very high level of accuracy. and you don't have to touch anything. >> reporter: at winthrop university they plan to use it all over campus. even for parents at this on-campus nursery school. >> i think parents will
2:52 pm
subscribe to it quickly because the level of security that is involved is such a comfort. >> reporter: since newtown some elementary skrools experimenting with using iris scanners to i.d. kids getting on and off the school bus. several companies are competing for the business. >> technology itself and iris image is nothinging more than the colored portion of your eye. every time a child boards and/or exits the school bus, the parent will get an e-mail or text message and they will get that image of the child's photograph. google map of where they boarded or exited the school bus as well as the time and date. >> reporter: eye lock is another rice scanning company. its technology is being use order school buses along with high security offices and banks. >> our scanning for security la around for a while. but it is getting more popular. that's because advances in technology mean the scanners can be built quicker and cheaper. this scanner is for airports.
2:53 pm
>> welcome. welcome. >> reporter: while iris scanning may be effective, it does raise concerns, especially when it is used in schools. >> i would -- wonder where the database for this information is going to go naturally. >> reporter: for now, the information collected by the scanners is owned by the school district. but as the market expands, so do the possible security risks. >> there is going to be people that come into this market that don't have the thought process, if you would, that -- aren't going to be security safety driven. naturally that's going to happen. we wouldn't make sure that as we are in this industry we are doing everything we can to do it the right way. >> reporter: eye opening technology you may see more of in the future. >> okay. so -- money tech expert gloria seagal is here. am i -- i'm not going to show the front. this is my atm card. may i be trading this in for my
2:54 pm
eyeballs? >> it is in the works. it sounds science fiction but a company you saw in the piece, they are working with financial institutions right now to get this to market in the next year. they are also working on you will be able to look at your computer. you usually type in a computer, look at your computer and would unlock. this technology is coming to market and soon. >> can't you get now, though, for some phones, like a scanner but an attachment. the word is the new iphone may have a scanner attached to it? am i wrong? >> absolutely. the technology isn't completely now but cheaper to build. apple, about a year ago, they acquire ad fingerprint sensor company. there are all these rumors you can have a fingerprint scan other the next generation aye phone which we will hear more about in september when you think about how, you know, people steal iphones all the ti time. it will be an extra layer of security. >> reporter: i really believe this -- the future is now. we are living in that sort of jetsony era. thank you.
2:55 pm
good stuff. appreciate it. as a college education gets even more expensive, president obama outlines a plan to rein in hose costs. we will tell what you is at the heart of his plan next.
2:56 pm
2:57 pm
the president just finished a bus tour of college campuses where he said his goal is making higher education more affordable. figures show the president has his work cut out for him. average college student will graduate with a degree and more
2:58 pm
than $35,000 in debt. the president has a plan to fix it. president obama is looking to create a new ratings system for colleges and universities that gives more information than just what the curriculum or sports program is with the college. looking to give a more information. like what graduates make after leaving the university and how much debt students are carrying after they graduate. then his idea is to take that ratings system and tie how much federal financial aid that university gets based on that ranking. he is looking to do this because so many students are leaving universities and colleges across this country with up to their eyeballs in debt. here at new york university, the typical student leaves the university $35,000 in debt. the way things are going with the higher college costs, by the time we get to the year 2034, here is the estimate that it is going to cost $205,000 for a power-year plan at a public
2:59 pm
university. good luck with that. when you look at the average salary, for americans, $52,000. president obama is trying to make these universities more accountable for what they are charging students. >> we want to create a new system of ratings for colleges so that parents and students know what schools graduate kids on time and are good value for the money and lead to good jobs. because right now the ratings system -- commercial rating systems tend to focus on what is the most selective school or expensive schools or has the nicest sports facilities. >> reporter: if president obama has his way he would look to have the ratings system up and running by the 2015 school year and then have the portion where the financial aid is allocated based on the grading up and running by 2018. here's going to be more difficult since that portion will need congressional approval.
3:00 pm
don? hello, everyone. i'm don lemon. you are in the cnn newsroom. it is the top of the hour. i want everyone to sit down and listen to this. black, white, hispanic, asian. everyone, listen. you are going get something out of this. watching the news this week, you might think that there was no more dangerous creature on earth than a teenage boy. in oklahoma, teens accused of killing a college baseball player from australia and the suspects supposedly killed for almost incomprehensible reason. because they were bored. in georgia, another teen on trial. the prime suspect in the murder after 13-month-old baby. antonio santiago shot between the eyes allegedly because his mother wouldn't hand over her purse. in washington state , a world wr ii veteran. a member of the greatest generation, wounded at okinawa, while serving his